"Honest"

Epic

Artists:

Future's decision to change the title of his forthcoming album from Future Hendrix to Honest isn't surprising. Typically, he moans with a level of sincerity that makes it sound as if he's experiencing everything he's rapping about at that very moment, for the first time. Future has described its titular lead single as a "uptempo club record"; while "Honest" is definitely celebratory, it's essentially a ballad in the vein of Pluto highlights "Truth Gonna Hurt You" and "Neva End". Metro Boomin and DJ Spinz' sparkling production consists of plaintive chords floating through galactic detritus, over which Future manages to recast the old-as-dirt rap trope of boasting about your success as a bashful admission.

There's a specific sense of melancholy here, heightened by the Auto-Tune style he's found a way to breathe new life into-- an always-present awareness of his past that both mutes his bragging, while rendering it even more jubilant. Rappers always claim they'll never forget their humble beginnings, and one line carefully strewn amongst the revelry underlines why there's a good chance that Future actually won't: "These niggas getting shot for being honest."